Craig Newmark: re politicians: follow the money, send a postcard

Way too much money is flowing into the midterm elections, so it’s a big deal who’s backing the candidates on the ballot.

The Sunlight Foundation (disclaimer: I’m on their Board) created a postcard generator that lets you send postcards citing the facts – and the dollar figures – to people who need to hear that.

You can select any single candidate for Congress or compare two in a race, and display the industries and organizations that contribute the most to them. Enter an address and personalize the card by writing a note about why you want your friend or family member to see who’s funding whom – and who the winner will be listening to after Election Day. You don’t even need a stamp – simply choose your candidates and click send directly from the website.

It’s a great way to show non-tech friends and family what’s happening in the elections–and what can be done with open data. The cards cost $2 to cover Sunlight’s costs, and I know they’d be grateful for an additional $1 (or more) donation.